"Take care of her," Leo said, gently transferring the sleeping Bella into Jace’s arms. She was limp, exhausted, her face still pale, her cheeks stained with tears. Her breathing was slow and even, her body heavy with sleep, like a child who had finally crashed after hours of crying.

Jace nodded seriously, cradling her carefully against his chest. His arms wrapped around her, supporting her head, making sure she was comfortable. "I will."

Leo looked at Bella for a moment, his gray eyes soft. He studied the way her lips were slightly parted, the way her hand curled weakly against Jace’s chest, the way her lashes cast tiny shadows on her cheeks. His jaw tightened.

Then he turned and walked out of the room, Jay following close behind. They had an investigation to oversee. The truck, the black car, the men who had chased her, they needed answers. Every second wasted was another second the trail grew cold.

The door clicked shut.

Jace stood there for a moment, holding Bella, feeling the weight of her in his arms. She was so small. So fragile. He had always known she was small, but tonight she felt smaller than ever. Her bones felt light beneath her skin. Her body felt like it might break if he held too tight.

He carried her to her room, walking slowly, carefully, trying not to jostle her. The hallway was dark, lit only by the soft glow of the wall sconces, their light casting long shadows on the carpet.

He pushed open the door to her room with his shoulder and walked to the bed. The sheets were cool and white, the pillows plump. He laid her down gently, pulling the blanket over her, tucking it around her shoulders like a cocoon. She didn’t stir. She just kept breathing, slowly, peacefully, her chest rising and falling in a gentle rhythm.

He sat down on the edge of the bed beside her.

The room was quiet. The only light came from the moon outside, filtering through the curtains, casting pale silver shadows on the floor. Everything looked soft. Everything looked peaceful.

But Jace knew better.

Jace watched her sleep. Her face was relaxed now, the tension gone, the fear smoothed away like wrinkles ironed out of fabric.

She looked so peaceful and innocent.

He reached out and touched her forehead, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. His fingers were gentle, careful, like she might break. Her skin was cool beneath his touch, soft as silk.

She stirred slightly, her hand coming up to catch his. Before he could pull away, she hugged his hand to her chest, holding it like a child holding a stuffed animal. Her fingers were cold, but her grip was surprisingly strong.

Jace’s eyes teared up.

"Oh, Bella Bell," he muttered, his voice thick with emotion. "You’re going through so much."

He thought about the girl she had been when he first met her. The way she had hugged him the first time she saw him, her eyes lit up like she had seen the whole world in his face. The way she had smiled brightly.

At that time, she had been thrown into a world she didn’t understand. Married to a man who was cold and distant. She had been scared but she had hidden it behind smiles and polite words and that ridiculous optimism that never seemed to run out.

She had been innocent.

Not naive, she had never been naive. She had seen too much, survived too much, to be naive. But innocent. There was a softness to her, a gentleness, a belief that people were good at their core.

She believed in second chances. She believed in forgiveness. She believed that everyone had a reason for what they did.

That innocence was fading.

Jace could see it in her eyes now, when she was awake. The way she looked at people, at situations, at the world. There was a hardness there that hadn’t existed before. A wariness and a readiness.

She had become more mature and intelligent but she had lost something too.

He didn’t like it. He didn’t like watching her innocence get wiped away, bit by bit, day by day.

Jace swallowed hard. He blinked, and a tear slipped down his cheek. He didn’t wipe it away.

He just sat there, holding her hand, watching her sleep, letting the tear fall where it may.

"I’ve got you," he whispered. "I’ve got you, Bella Bell."

She didn’t hear him. But he meant it anyway.

"Leo...leo.." she suddenly muttered, her voice soft and sleepy, barely a whisper. Her eyes were still closed, her breathing still slow but her hand was moving, searching, reaching for something or someone.

Jace watched as her fingers curled around his sleeve, tugging weakly. She was trying to pull him toward her, trying to drag him onto the bed, trying to make him lie down beside her.

He laughed.

"Don’t try this stunt even in sleep," he said, gently pulling his sleeve free. "If Leo knows, he’ll kill me. And then he’ll revive me just to kill me again."

Bella didn’t respond. She just kept reaching, her hand flopping against the blanket, missing him, her fingers curling around empty air.

Jace shook his head, still smiling. He reached out and pulled her nose gently, just a little pinch between his fingers. Her nose wrinkled. She made a small, annoyed sound, something between a grunt and a whine but she didn’t wake up.

"Go back to sleep, Bella Bell," he said.

But she didn’t listen. She rolled toward him, her body shifting under the blanket, the sheets rustling. Her hand found his arm again, fingers wrapping around his sleeve with surprising determination. She tugged harder this time, trying to pull him down, trying to make him stay.

Jace sighed, but he didn’t pull away. He let her hold his arm, let her clutch it to his chest like she had done before. Her grip was tight, almost desperate.

Then she sniffed.

Her nose wrinkled again, but this time it wasn’t because he had pulled it. She was smelling him. His sleeve, his arm, his skin. She sniffed once, twice, three times, her nose twitching like a rabbit’s.

And then she stopped. Her grip loosened. Her face, which had been relaxed, scrunched up into a small frown. Her eyebrows drew together. Her lips pressed into a pout.

She rolled away from him.

"Bad Leo," she muttered, her voice thick with sleep and disappointment. "Left me."

Jace stared at her.

She had thought he was Leo. She had reached for Leo, tugged at Leo, tried to make Leo stay. She had wanted Leo’s warmth, Leo’s presence, Leo’s arms around her and when she realized he wasn’t Leo, when she smelled him and knew, she had rolled away.

Because he wasn’t Leo.

A funny smile appeared on his face.